Friday, April 22, 2005

Laura F.

I am a Democrat who appreciates faith. I was raised in a RomanCatholic household where faith was a very important matter. Each ofthe children was expected to attend weekly mass and during schoolexpected to attend religious training. My faith is very important tome and has proven to be a source of great strength during difficulttimes. I admire anyone of faith for their faith.

I disagree with Senator Frist's characterization that Democrats are"against people of faith." Nothing could be further from the truth. I,for one, am appalled that the Senator would stoop so low as to smearDemocrats of faith such as he has done. Using religion as a brickbatagainst Democrats is hypocritical and not worthy of his high office. All people of faith regardless of their political affiliation shoulddemand that he retract such statements and apologize to Democrats.

My name is Julia H. I will be entering seminary this Fall at the Harvard Divinity School to study for the ministry. I am a Unitarian Universalist.

I am American, and I consider myself a person of strong religious faith, but I am not Christian.

I reject the idea that one cannot be a good American without being Christian.

I reject the idea that my faith is judged by who I vote for.

I reject the idea that God has bestowed special favors on America over other nations.

My President is not my minister, or pastor, or rabbi, or imam, or pope.

My television is not my pulpit.

My congressmen and women are not my spiritual intermediaries.

I respect the Christian faith, as I do the Hebrew, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, and the multitudes of other faiths that make up this great country of ours.

My faith is personal to me. I will share it with you, but I will not seek to convert you.

I am dedicated to keeping faith free, and that means a necessary separation of church and state.

I am proud of the role that my faith (Unitarian Universalism) has had in the hearts and minds of the leaders of our country, such as John and Abigail Adams and Thomas Paine.

I believe that people of all faiths should have the opportunity to be leaders of this country. There is no theological test required for the Presidency or any other office.

We the People established the constitution to secure the blessings of Liberty, not God. Any mention of deity was purposefully omitted from the Constitution of the United States of America.

The only hope we have of establishing a More Perfect Union is to allow each individual to find their own way to faith. For those of us who feel strong in our faith, it can be a source of inspiration and power. But for many, faith is a fragile, new and gentle thing, easily trampled by the will of the majority. We need to make room for this tender faith, and allow each person to blossom in time. This cannot be achieved by turning faith into a blunt political tool of intimidation, an inquisition of morality and righteousness, or a tidal wave of public anger.